Photographic-print holder



No. 627,069. Patented June a3, |899.-

. .1. G. BAKER. Y

PHnTnGnAPHIc PRINT Howl-:2. (A'pplicacion med Nov. 1o. 199:3.)` (NoModel.)

,j UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE.

.lOI-IN G. BAKER, Oli-PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PHoTocRAPHlc-PRINT HOLDER.

' SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N0. 627,069, dated June13, 1899.

Application filed November 10l 1898. Serial No. 696,039. "No mndel Toall whom, it may concern:

Be it known thatl, JOHN G. BAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements iny Photograph-Print Holders, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient devicewhereby a photograph-print may be securely retained while paste is beingapplied to the back of the same, all risk of soiling the face of theprint being avoided.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of aphotograph-print retainer constructed in accordance with my invention.Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line .r an, Fig. l;and Fig. 3 is a sectional View illustrating a modification of theinvention.

The holder comprises two blocks l and 2, the latter block being placedupon the top of the block l and secured thereto in any available manner.Distributedthroughout the area of the block 2 are a series of verticalopenings 3, and in line with the central opening 3 of said block thereis in the base-block 1 an opening 4, with which communicates a lateralpassage 5, having at the outer end a vprojecting pipe 6, to which isapplied the end of a rubber or other flexible tube 7. The other end ofthis tube may be placed in the mouth, so as to exhaust the' air from thetube and from the openings with which it communicates, or the air may beexhausted by a pump or otheravailable device. All of the openings 3 arein communication with the central opening through suitable passages 8,formed either in the under side of the block 2y or in the upper side ofthe block l, so tha when the tops of the openings 3 are closed by meansof va photograph-print laid upon the top of the block 2 land air isexhausted from the tube 7 a partial vacuum will be created in each ofthe openings 3. Hence the print will be confined to the face of theblock 2 by atmospheric pressure at as many diterent points as there areopenings 3 formed in said block, and while it is thus iirnily retainedpaste can kbe applied to the back of the print without any risk ofmoving the same from its proper'position, the release of the print befing effected as soon as air is again permitted to enter the openings 3,so that the print can be lifted by means of the paste-brush and at onceapplied to the card or other surface to which'it is to be attached. Boththe pasting and the subsequent handling of the pasted print are thuseifected without touching the same with the lingers, thereby overcomingan objection to present methods of pasting' photograph-prints havinghighly-glazed surfaces, snce contact of a moist or pasty finger withsuch highly-glazed surface destroys its polish and results ina soiledprint.

The block 2 is by preference of slightly less dimensions than the print9, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the edges of the print slightly overlapthe edges of the block, and thereby prevent any application of paste tothe top of the block, which would result in the soiling of the nextprint.

In order to providea surface which will prevent the horizontal slippingof the paper print on the face of the block, cushions of rubber or otherelastic material surrounding each of the openings 3 may be employed. Inthe construction shown in Figs. l and 2 these cushions are in the formof rings 10, let into countersinks formed in the face of the blockaround each of the openings 3, although, if

desired, a sheet of rubber or equivalent material may cover the entireface of the block, as shown, for instance,- at 1l in Fig. 3, or the faceof the block may be coated with rubber, cement, or equivalent material,which when dry will provide a bed over which the print when subjected toatmospheric pressure will not slide.

Having thus described my invention, `I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A photograph-print holder consisting ot' a block ofrigid material having distributed throughout its area a series ofopenings communicating with each other and with an air exhausting pipe,each of said openings being surrounded at the face of the block byelastic material over which the print, when sub? jectcd to atmosphericpressure,will not slide, substantially as specified.

2. A photograph-print holder consisting of a block having distributedthroughout its area a series of openings communicating with each otherand with au air-exhausting pipe, each ICO of said openings beingconntersunk at the top and having let into said countersunk portion anannular cushion of material over which the print-when subjected toatmospheric pressnre,.w,i1l not slide, substantially es specified.

3. A photograph-print holder consisting of a two-part block, the upperportion having openings distributed throughout its area `amd the lowerportion having an opening commu- .ro nicating with one of the openingsin theA top block,-and with an air-exheusting pipe and having channelsor passages between the blocks whereby all of the openings may com'-4muncate with the opening in the base-block, substantially as specified.l

In testimonyT whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN G. BAKER. Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, Jos. H. KLEIN.-

